Tauren
Tauren are peaceful creatures found in the mountain valleys of the world. Conquered by Alexander the Great, many of them do not participate much in what is left of his empire. Unlike other races, the Tauren are indigenous inhabitants of the world of Lemurias and did not come through the Dragon Gate. Instead, they revere Earthmother and Sky-Father in some sort of animistic and shamanistic religion unaffected by religions of the past. To outsiders they are large, muscular humanoids and bovine in appearance, complete with hooves and horns. Tauren stand anywhere from nine to twelve feet tall and weigh anywhere from 650 to 1000 lbs. Their immense bodies are covered with fine, short fur that ranges in color from black, gray, white, red, brown and tan and any mottled combinations or variations thereof. Introduction The tauren are a race of shamans, hunters, druids and warriors who long ago developed a complex culture and system of living without the aid of stonework, steel or conquest. This is not to say that the tauren are a race of pacifists, for when they are angered they are capable of retaliating with swift and decisive brutality. Tauren are, in a word, stoic, embodying the strong and silent type with their quiet contemplation. This introspective air combined with their immense size are why many view the tauren as a wise and dangerous race. Tauren rarely speak unless there is a true reason to, preferring to act instead of talk. However, once a tauren has learned to interact with a companion, there seems to be a more open and enthusiastic exchange of words. Since tauren warm slowly to non-tauren, they are usually silent and may sometimes appear brooding. This silence may be attributable to the strife of recent times. Tauren have no love for bloodshed, as their deep spiritual beliefs do not have a place for warfare. The elders of a tribe solve most issues, or two tauren might resolve a conflict with a ritual challenge resembling a duel. Having become members of the Alexandrian Kingdoms, the introspective race has been involved in more and more conflict, creating a demand for tauren warriors and healers. Many must spend time putting great thought into the actions they perform on the field of battle. Taking another life, whether it is man or beast, is an act filled with great significance and responsibility to the tauren. Racial Traits (10 RP) Monstrous Humanoid RP * ' +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, –2 Dexterity.' Tauren are incredibly powerful, but they lack grace. RP * Size: As Medium creatures, Tauren have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. RP * Speed: Tauren base land speed is 30 feet. RP * Natural Weapon (Ex): A tauren’s horns are a natural weapon, and all adult tauren are proficient in their use. Tauren horns deal 1d8 points of damage (plus bonus damage from Strength). Male tauren horns tend to be more prominent than those of females. RP * Weapon Familiarity: Tauren may treat tauren halberds and totems as martial weapons. RP * Weapon Proficiency: Tauren receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for longspears and shortspears. Tauren are skilled hunters. RP * +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Survival checks. These skills are considered class skills for all tauren characters. RP * Languages: Common and Taur-ahe. Tauren with high intelligence may learn Elvish, Orcish, Halfling, Draconic, Aklo, Undercommon, and Celestial. Tauren tend to learn languages for trade or exchanging ideas. RP * Racial Levels: Unlike humans and some other races, tauren can take a few levels in “tauren” as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully. References Open Game License Section 15 -- Copyright Notice World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game © 2005, Blizzard Entertainment.